ABOUT THE HOSPITAL :: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Hospital has changed hands many times over the years. Doesn't this give the community a feeling of insecurity about the stability of their healthcare?

The Hospital has changed ownership five times in the last 30 years. It was originally built as a for-profit private hospital, and kept that status until the year 2000. In the past 20 to 25 years healthcare corporations, including NME, AME, BRIM, and most recently Provence, have owned it.

Early in 1999 it became clear that Provence was no longer interested in the California and Ojai market, and they intended to sell it or close it down. So, after 18 months of negotiations and the securing of financing, the Ojai Valley Community Hospital Foundation became the proud owner on October 1, 2000. Local ownership will add greatly to the stability of our Hospital, and some say that the Hospital is now where it should have been some 40 years ago: owned and controlled by the Ojai Valley community.

Does an outside agency rate the quality of our Hospital?

The State of California and The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAHO) rate us. The most important rating agency is the professional staff that reviews each and every case.

In addition, we hire an outside organization (Press Ganey) that collects and collates information from our patients, and returns the results to us for review.

What are the benefits of having the Hospital owned and managed by a local nonprofit foundation as opposed to a corporate entity?

Although a corporate owner would have to assume financial responsibility for the Hospital, it would also retain control. It could choose not to make adequate capital investments, as the case as been with the Hospital over the last five years, and it would even have the right to close it down without consulting the community.

Now the fate of the Hospital is in the community's hands. The Foundation Board and the community can decide what services they want and need, and are willing to support. The Ojai Valley now has the assurance that it controls its own destiny when it comes to providing emergency services, high quality patient care and other benefits of a well-run hospital.

The financial advantage is that any surplus generated from operations can be put back into hospital improvements instead of being absorbed by an out of state corporate owner.

Does the hospital have the capacity to perform surgical procedures, and if so, what procedures do they offer?

The Ojai Valley is home to several outstanding surgeons who practice at the Ojai Valley Community Hospital.

The surgical procedures offered include general, orthopedic, ophthalmologic, gynecological, urological, podiatry, cosmetic and eye surgery services. We have also developed an excellent outpatient surgery department that provides back pain management, gastrointestinal procedures, and general surgery services. In addition, the hospital's surgical suites are equipped with the latest equipment for our surgeons, and the residents of the valley.

What programs or services are the Hospital's greatest strength?

Some of the Hospital's most important services are outpatient surgery, diagnostics, laboratory offerings, emergency room, and extended care.
The Hospital's greatest strength is the personalized care and the ability to be flexible to individual needs. Our doctors and nurses are our patients' friends and neighbors; they see us at the grocery store and at church. Because we are a small town, there is a unique accountability one might not find in larger hospitals.

Why doesn't the Ojai Valley have more specialized health care?

There are a number of quality specialists that do practice in our valley. To supplement these specialists the hospital operates a Multi-Specialty Clinic that brings additional specialists into the Valley throughout the week to provide additional services to our residents here in our community. Currently, our clinic offers Urology, Gastroenterology, Podiatry, Cardiac, Neurology and Intergrative Medicine services.

How accessible is the long-term facility to minorities?

The long-term care facility is accessible to everyone. As a recipient of Federal financial assistance, the Ojai Valley Community Hospital does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the grounds of race, color, or national origin.

On occasion, friends of ours are admitted to the hospital. When we call to ask if they are doing well, we are unable to get any information. Why is that and what information can we expect to get?

This is probably one of our greatest challenges in serving such a close, tight-knit and caring community.

At one time or another, we see the majority of the residents in our valley, whether they are simply utilizing the hospital’s lab services and/or imaging center, or here due to more extensive care. We receive numerous inquiries from concerned friends asking about the health of their friends. Outside of immediate family, we cannot provide any patient information at all, unless it has been authorized by the patient specifically as to who may receive this information.

Patient privacy is of the upmost concern to us. Being admitted to our hospital, or utilizing our services for testing is considered a private matter, and releasing any information regarding patient care without authorization is in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), Title 45, under the Code of Federal Regulations.

Residents who use the hospital generally do not want the public, including friends, to necessarily know why they are at the hospital, and we adamantly protect that information. It is their decision if they wish to let individuals know why they are at the hospital.

Since the hospital serves such a small community, this can sometimes cause confusion, as our residents do not always understand why we cannot tell them how their friends are doing, or why we cannot comment publicly on situations at the hospital that they have heard or read about. In fact, one of the hardest challenges for us lies within our own staff. Our employees reside in this valley as well, and we constantly find ourselves caring for friends, family members, and neighbors. But, if they are not within our direct care, we have to consistently remind ourselves not to ask why they are at the hospital – a task that is extremely hard to accomplish, and one we do daily.

Our commitment to the public if firm - your experience at the hospital is private and any information regarding your visit will be held in strict confidence by our staff and doctors.